Easter Recipes

Celebrate Easter with this delicious lamb recipe and with the kids at home, there’s plenty of time to make some homemade hot cross buns.

A hot cross bun is a spiced sweet bun made with currants or raisins, marked with a cross on the top, and traditionally eaten on Good Friday.  The eating of hot cross buns marks the end of Lent because they are made with dairy products which are forbidden during this period.  Different parts of the hot cross bun have a certain meaning.  Tradition has it that the cross represents the crucifixion of Jesus, and the spices inside signify the spices used to embalm him at his burial.

Nicki Davis | Operations Manager (Food/Beverage and Events)
Recipes below from Adam Lestrelle | Head Chef

Hot Cross Buns

Click here to download the recipe as a PDF

Ingredients

1 tbsp of dried yeast, active
1 tsp sugar
125ml of water, warm
350g of strong white flour
100g of strong wholemeal flour
1/2 tsp table salt
2 tsp mixed spice
50g of caster sugar
75g of sultanas
75g of dried chopped apricots
75g of mixed peel
125ml of milk, warm
50g of butter, melted
1 Free Range egg, beaten

To begin, combine the dried yeast and sugar in a bowl, then whisk in the warm water. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave in a warm place for approximately 10-15 minutes, until frothy

Sieve the flour into a large mixing bowl, then mix in salt, sugar, spice and fruits

Create a well in the middle of the ingredients and use your hands to mix in the frothy yeast mixture. Add the milk, butter and egg, then mix well to form a sticky dough.

Lightly flour over a work surface and place the dough on top. Knead with your hands for 5 minutes or so, until smooth.

Grease a bowl with a little oil and add the ball of dough. Top the bowl with cling film and allow to prove in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size

Lightly dust a work surface with flour and turn out the dough. Knead gently, then roll into a long sausage-shape. Split into 12 even pieces, using scales for accuracy. Roll each piece of dough into a ball

Arrange the balls on a lined baking tray, spacing out so they are close but not touching. Set aside to until doubled in size for 45 minutes in a warm place

Meanwhile, make the piping paste and preheat the oven to 220°C/gas mark 6

For the paste, simply mix the water, flour and sugar until smooth. Add to a piping bag with a thin nozzle.

To make the egg wash, beat together the milk and egg yolk.

When the buns have finished proving, use a blunt knife to make a cross-shaped indentation on each one. Use a pastry brush to coat with egg wash, then pipe the crosses into the indentations

Bake the buns for 20 minutes, until nicely golden and sound hollow when tapped

Meanwhile, make the glaze. Add the sugar and water to a pan and dissolve over a low heat. As soon as the buns are ready, remove from the oven and brush over the glaze. Allow to cool on a wire rack before pulling apart and serving.

Easter Lamb with orange and rosemary

Click here to download the recipe as a PDF

Method

Preheat the oven 180C – 190C or gas mark 4-5

Place the lamb on a chopping board and make several slits all over the joint. Mix together the orange zest, garlic, leaves from the rosemary sprigs (discard the sprig) oil and season

Stuff the mixture into the slits of the lamb.

Place on a roasting rack on top of a roasting tin and roast for 75 minutes for a good medium roast. For the last 15 minutes spoon the marmalade on top of the leg of lamb.

Remove from the oven and loosely cover in kitchen foil to rest for minimum

Tips

Cook a leg of lamb (bone in) 25 minutes every 500gm for a medium cook (Rest for the length of time cooked for wrapped in foil loosely.
Every 25 minutes baste the lamb with the juices

Spiced Shredded Lamb

Left over roast lamb
If you have a substantial amount of roast lamb left over you can chop and use the same process reducing the menu by half and cooking time by a third leaving you with still a great meal using leftovers.

serves 8 people

Shoulder of lamb or Leg 1.6kg
125gm Madras curry paste or your choice
65gm tomato puree
400gm chopped tomato
300ml lamb or vegetable stock
400gm tin of chickpeas, drained (reserve the liquid for chickpeas or a vegan dressing)
Freshly chopped mint, coriander for garnish

Pre heat the oven to 160C Fan Gas mark 3

Put the curry paste, tomato puree, chopped tomatoes and stock in a large non-stick roasting tin and stir well

Place the lamb on a chopping board and make several slits over the surface with a sharp knife. Season on both sides and transfer to the roasting tin and spoon over the mixture (or get the children involved and get them rubbing all of the mixture and massaging into the lamb)

Cover with parchment paper and then cover with foil (parchment paper prevents the foil from sticking to the lamb) Roast for 4 hours, turning and basting occasionally. 20 minutes before the end of cooking time, add the chickpeas and continue to cook uncovered.

Remove the joint from the tin, transfer on to a chopping board and with two forks ‘pull’ the lamb apart.

Return the meat to the sauce mixing all those beautiful flavours together. Garnish with some pitta breads or flat breads.

Serving suggestions
Be superb with a fresh Greek salad and hot buttered new potatoes or apricot cous cous

Tips:

Vegan Meringues
Reserve the chickpea water to make vegan meringues all you need is the reserved water and 100gm caster sugar. In an electric mixer whisk the chickpea water like egg whites until soft peaks, gradually adding the caster sugar to the mix whilst whisking until thick and glossy this will take about 10-12 minutes.

Bake in an oven at 110C or the lowest point on your oven for about 1hr15mins until crisp. Leave to cool. Add fresh berries and enjoy.

Vegan Dressing
Reserved water form a tin, 1 lemon (juice only) 2 teaspoons of tahini, 2 cloves of garlic season to taste. Put all in a mixer or blender and blitz until thick and creamy, chop some fresh parsley after. This will take about 5-7 minutes to form.